HOUSTON, TX – KPRC/NBC2 in Houston reported that a Houston-based Southwest Airlines pilot has been suspended without pay after his cockpit microphone became stuck, allowing an obscenity-laced rant to be broadcast over hundreds of miles. Air traffic controllers in Houston first alerted Federal Aviation Administration supervisors on March 25, 2011, around 1:30 p.m. and those supervisors forwarded a tape of the episode to Southwest Airlines to take action against the pilot.

The Southwest Airlines pilot, who was not identified by the FAA or the airline, could be heard talking to his co-pilot in the cockpit, expressing frustration over the airline hiring so many flight attendants that he found to be unsuitable for dating.

“A continuous stream of gays and grannies,” the pilot said over the Houston Center air traffic control frequency, which covers hundreds of miles over Texas. “Eleven (expletive) over-the-top (expletive) ass (expletive) homosexuals and a granny,” the pilot said as he complained to his co-pilot about the lack of flight attendants who caught his interest. The pilot used a slur against gay flight attendants, saying he had gone to a bar with a group of flight attendants. He described that trip to the bar by saying, “Once with the granny and the (derogatory term) and I wish I hadn’t gone.”

Pilots within certain altitude guidelines over that entire geographic area were unable to communicate with Houston Center air traffic controllers for the entire four-minute duration of his conversation since his headset microphone was stuck.